


i'd give you my lungs so you could breathe

by Spannah339



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Cold, Drowning, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Ice, Team Awesome (Disney: Tangled), Whump, also this turned out FAR softer than I expected, but im here for it tbh, look it was only a matter of time before i wrote a drowning fic lets be real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25942429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spannah339/pseuds/Spannah339
Summary: “Uh… Angry?” Catalina’s voice was uncertain and Eugene turned to see she had stopped near the centre of the spring, cracks in the ice slowly appearing around her feet.“Catalina?” Angry called, moving to skate towards her sister.“Don’t!” Eugene called sharply and she froze, shifting her feet so she didn’t fall. “We don’t want to add any more weight onto the ice, alright. Angry, Varian, get off the ice, I’ll get her - don’t move, Red.”
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian
Comments: 6
Kudos: 142





	i'd give you my lungs so you could breathe

**Author's Note:**

> I have been writing SO MUCH lately it's great have another fic guys.

“Come  _ on _ , Eugene!” Varian called. He was stumbling slightly as he tried to gain his balance on the ice and Eugene shot a glare at him from where he was turtled up in his coat, trying to hide as much of his face as possible from the cold air. 

“Why we had to come all the way out  _ here _ I don’t know,” he muttered. Varian grinned, his face a healthy flush, and that was enough for Eugene to relent somewhat, despite his dislike of the cold weather. 

Angry and Catalina had recently found a small spring, a little way from the river. When it had frozen over, they had excitedly invited Varian to join them in ice skating and playing on the ice, and Eugene had decided they needed at least  _ some _ adult supervision that wasn’t Lance. 

Lance had left them to it for the moment, leaving to prepare a hot lunch of pancakes for when they grew bored. The two girls were already on the ice, moving skillfully, clearly having practised before. Varian was much more uncertain, stumbled a little as he struggled to get used to the ice skates. 

Eugene, who had steadfastly refused to put the skates on, stepped out to help him before he landed on his face and passed out because of a bleeding nose. Varian gratefully latched onto his arm, grinning as they began to slowly move around the edge of the ice. 

“Hurry up, V!” Angry called, spinning past them, eyes dancing. Varian stuck his tongue out at her. 

“You’ve had a head start at practice!” he called, slowly letting go of Eugene’s arm. He swayed, maintaining his balance and began to slowly slide forward. 

“You’re getting it,” Eugene said encouragingly, and Varian’s grin widened. He had been cooped up inside for far too long, busy trying to figure out a way to use the hot water boilers to heat the castle. If he was being honest, Eugene had only agreed to come so he could make sure Varian had a full day outside, with his friends, away from the close walls of his laboratory. And seeing his flushed and excited face, looking more like the kid he was than he had in a long time, was more than worth the slight discomfort the cold brought. 

Varian began to move more confidently, sliding across the ice slowly, building up speed as he did. Eugene stopped, standing on the ice and watching with a small smile as his young friend began to catch up with the girls, throwing his hands out every so often to keep his balance. He was doing better than Eugene had expected - the kid was never one for coordination. 

Eugene turned to make his way back towards the edge of the spring, where Max was waiting, Ruddiger asleep in his saddle, when an ominous cracking sound came from behind him. 

“Uh… Angry?” Catalina’s voice was uncertain and Eugene turned to see she had stopped near the centre of the spring, cracks in the ice slowly appearing around her feet. 

“Catalina?” Angry called, moving to skate towards her sister. 

“Don’t!” Eugene called sharply and she froze, shifting her feet so she didn’t fall. “We don’t want to add any more weight onto the ice, alright. Angry, Varian, get off the ice, I’ll get her - don’t move, Red.” 

She nodded, her face pale and scared. Varian began to move to the edge of the ice, looking back with no little concern. 

“But -” Angry began, still shifting her feet, clearly wanting to run to her sister’s side. 

“I’ll get her, Kiera,” Eugene said, his voice sharp. She sensed the urgency and slowly began making her way off the ice while Eugene carefully stepped towards Catalina. “Take it slowly, alright? The ice should hold your weight so long as you move slowly.” 

She nodded, the fear clear in her eyes as she slowly inched towards Eugene. The ice creaked dangerously under their feet, more cracks appearing in the ice and Eugene’s heart began beating quickly. He tried not to think about the water under them, about what would happen if he fell in - if  _ she _ fell in. 

Instead, he focused on her, smiling encouragingly, making sure not to let any of his own fear shine through. 

“Clearly I need to stop eating so many of Rapunzel’s cookies,” he said, keeping his voice light as he stepped forward again. The ice cracked as he adjusted his weight and he grit his teeth. But his comment got a small smile out of Catalina and she stepped forward again, close enough for Eugene to grab her hand. 

He pulled her close, holding her tightly for a moment. 

“You okay?” he asked quietly and she nodded. “Great, because you owe me a pancake for rescuing you.” She rolled her eyes at him and he smiled. “Keep moving slowly, alright, we’re nearly out.” 

He tried not to worry too much - the ice had held thus far, there didn’t seem to be much reason for it to crack all the way. But it was making ominous noises and every step caused more fractures to appear. 

And then he felt something _ shift _ . Instantly, he knew the ice was going to give and he had seconds to act. 

Instinctively, he grabbed Catalina by her shoulders and flung her forward, stumbling forward himself. She skidded across the ice with a cry of surprise and Eugene felt the ice crumble around him, earsplitting cracks echoing around the spring. 

“Eugene!” 

Varian’s shout was the last thing he heard before the water closed over his head. 

He had time to take half a panicked breath of air before the water exploded around him, ice and bubbles and darkness making a disorientating mess of chaos, the cold already sinking into him. He kicked, reaching for the glinting light of the surface. 

But his hands brushed ice and a bubble of panic filled him. He had no idea where he had fallen in - he was under the ice, unable to surface. 

He kicked again, pressing his hands against the ice, moving in the direction he thought he had come from. For all he knew, he could be moving in the opposite direction. Fighting back a scream, he pushed against the ice above him, kicking as hard as he could, ramming into it with his elbow in an effort to break it. 

But he couldn’t - could barely see anything and his lungs were beginning to scream for air. He couldn’t get out, he couldn’t break the surface, he couldn’t  _ breathe _ and the cold was slowing his movements. 

He was sinking away from the surface and he kicked up again, weaker this time, his whole body numb from the cold. His lungs were screaming now, screaming for air and he kicked weakly, once again scraping the surface of the ice, panic almost overwhelming. 

He clawed against the ice before it sank out of his reach again, and this time he didn’t have the strength to kick up again. He sank, hands reaching for the light, lungs screaming. 

A hand grabbed his. 

For a moment it was a rush of cold and water and then suddenly, he could  _ breathe _ again the cold air slamming into him. He gasped, coughing violently and shuddering. 

Hands grabbed him, pulling him up onto the ice and he shivered, still gasping. He collapsed onto the ice, coughing up the last of the water he had swallowed, trying to give his lungs what they burned for, shaking violently. 

“Eugene,” a breathless voice called his name and he blinked, looking up to see Varian leaning over him, shaking slightly, his hair dripping wet. 

“Hey, kid,” he gasped out, taking in another shuddering breath and trying to push himself up on a shaking arm. Varian lunged forward, wrapping him into a hug and he relaxed into it, too weak to fully return it. “Thanks,” he muttered. 

“We should get off the ice,” Angry’s voice pulled his attention and he looked up to see her standing a face paces away, shifting nervously. For a terrifying moment, Eugene looked around for Catalina and saw no sign of her - had she fallen in as well? 

“She went to get help,” Varian explained, sensing his panic, and Eugene closed his eyes in relief. He shivered again, the cold biting into his bones. Varian shifted, taking his weight with an arm over his shoulder and staggered to his feet. Eugene didn’t protest, leaning on his brother and closing his eyes as he let Varian guide him off the ice. 

Angry ducked under his other arm as they left the ice and Eugene couldn’t help but be grateful to his young friends - he wasn’t sure he would be able to even properly stand, let alone walk. His strength felt drained, like the cold and water had sucked it all away. 

Then Varian shuddered under his arm, and he realized the boy had jumped in after him and was just as cold. 

“You okay, Goggles?” he asked, his voice slurred through frozen lips. Varian nodded, his teeth chattered, his face flushed unhealthily. “Okay, n-new plan,” he said through chattering teeth, stopping. Angry looked up at him but Varian didn’t respond, swaying slightly and shivering. “We st-tay here until Cata-talina comes b-back with Lance. Wh-where’s Ma-x?” 

He shivered violently and Angry ducked out from under his arm. 

“I’ll find him,” she said, and vanished into the low undergrowth. Eugene collapsed to the ground and Varian curled up beside him, shaking. With clumsy hands and shaking body, Eugene pulled Varian into him, holding him close so they could take warmth from each other’s body heat. 

“Th-thanks, kiddo,” he muttered. Varian shifted, smiling up at him. 

“C-couldn’t let you d-rown,” he muttered. “‘Punzel w-would kill me.” 

Eugene snorted, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy, trying to stop  _ shivering _ . 

Angry returned a moment later, a worried Max snorting beside her. Ruddiger bounded off the horse as soon as he caught sight of them, wriggling in between Eugene and Varian and curling up close to the younger. Max snorted, huffing a blissfully warm breath into Eugene’s hair. 

He didn’t have to ask - the horse sensed what was needed and awkwardly sat, kneeling in the grass beside them. Eugene pulled Varian along with him, pressing into the warm side of the horse. 

“Thanks,” he said, and Max snorted. Angry scrambled onto his saddle, leaning down as Eugene and Varian curled into the horse. 

“You guys okay?” she asked. 

“We will be,” Varian muttered. 

“Lance had b-better have hot ch-chocolate ready, I think we des-serve it,” Eugene said, and was relieved to hear a small chuckle from Angry and a snort of amusement from Varian.

Lance did indeed have hot chocolate ready at the treehouse, though by the time he and Catalina had arrived, a bundle of blankets each, and they had made it back to the warmth of the treehouse, the drinks were mostly cold. It didn’t take long to warm up again and Eugene was soon feeling warm, slightly swamped in a spare shirt of Lance’s, his clothes drying by the fire, a blanket tight around his shoulders. Varian was similarly outfitted, being somewhat put out to discover he could fit into Catalina’s clothes. 

“You’re like three years younger than me, how come I can fit your clothes?” he demanded, adjusting the blanket around his shoulders to be more comfortable for Ruddiger as the raccoon settled down. She grinned. 

“You’re just small,” Angry supplied, and Varian glared at her. 

“So’re you,” he shot back. 

“Yeah, but I’m young. I’m  _ supposed _ to be small.” 

The last of Eugene’s tension faded from his shoulders as he listened to the children bicker. He adjusted his grip on the mug he was holding and let himself smile. 

“I vote no more ice skating on weird lakes until we know the ice is solid,” he said, earning a few chuckles. 

“Seconded,” Catalina called from where she was curled up in front of the fire like a contented puppy. 

“Agreed,” Varian said, grinning slightly. 

“Motion passed,” Lance said from the kitchen behind them. “Now - who wants pancakes?” 

The chorus of assent was unanimous. 


End file.
